The Oscars are here - chip in with your opinions and votes as they proceed, and later.
Despite all pretensions, dissensions, and interventions, the Oscars are still the awards to beat - in terms of shock and awe, in terms of name-brand appeal, and in terms of some pretty good films. Dissenters from the Oscar parade are as old as the Oscars. Whether it is the Razzies, people who have declined the Oscar, or all those other punk award wanna-be's, the Oscars rule, at least for one night every year, and tonight's the night.…
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— go to most recent comments26 - Sister Ray
Yes, I was giving her kudos for brazening it through. She's one of the few surviving from that era.
Weren't the penguin guys cute?
27 - swingingpuss
J-Lo looks Amazonian in that green dress
28 - Aaman
Memoirs of A Geisha gets Art Direction too
29 - Aaman
Pretty bland show, fireworks-wise, thus far
30 - NR Davis,
Didn't Rob Marshall direct both Chicago and Memoirs of a Geisha?
I loved the former Oscar host montage, Jon Stewart's monologue and the gay-Western reel. Otherwise, zzzzzzzzzzzz. Yes, George Clooney is pretty, but enough already!
Best Score: Gustavo Santaolalla for Brokeback. Awesome! There was a good wakeup call.
31 - Matthew T. Sussman
I stopped watching after Samuel L. Jackson got on stage and he didn't even mention Snakes on a Plane.
32 - NR Davis,
Oh, and Lauren Bacall RULES!
33 - Lisa McKay
I agree that there hasn't been anything thrilling happening yet. Even Nicholson looks relatively tame tonight.
34 - Aaman
I think they bring Lauren out every year to show that she's still waiting for Bogey to blow that whistle
35 - NR Davis,
Note to Jon Stewart: Classic-film clips beat production numbers.
36 - NR Davis,
Lily and Meryl on Robert Altman: Priceless.
37 - Aaman
That was really the highlight - Altman sure deserved it:)
38 - Aaman
Lifetime Achievement Oscars make the evening worthwhile, every year - this time, Robert Altman
39 - Aaman
The M Night Shyamalan American Express ad epitomized film-making, Shyamalan-style, even if it was a crappy ad.
40 - NR Davis,
Rap on the Academy Awards... It's the end of Western civilization as we know it. Henry Mancini must be rolling...
Oh, right, Eminem won for "Lose Yourself."
This year, my money is on Dolly Parton.
41 - Sister Ray
That girl on the "Pimp" song really belted it out. And they just won! Congrats!
42 - Aaman
Nope - Hustle & Flow
43 - NR Davis,
Lost that bet. Well, well, well. Hard out here for an Oscar original-song prediction-maker.
44 - Aaman
Western Civilization would be a good idea, to borrow a phrase:)
45 - NR Davis,
Count me in for the dreidel-off!
46 - Aaman
Jon Stewart's commenting on the boring-ness of the awards, calling the band 'the most exciting people out here tonight'
47 - NR Davis,
Diggin' the Gandhi ref, Mr. Lamba. Word.
48 - Aaman
Hilarious 'attack-ad' montage for the 'Sound Editing nominations (Paid for by Wylie Statemen)
49 - Aaman
Oops! So much for Jennifer Garner's grand appearance:) she does her own stunts, evidently
50 - Aaman
drum-roll for King-Kong in the Sound Editing awards
51 - swingingpuss
If Jennifer Garner knew how to wear a sari, she wouldn't have tripped
52 - NR Davis,
Oh wow, I thought Stewart said the rap guys were the most excited people, but the point about the boring-ness still stands.
Oh... gorgeous George is here to do the death reel, my favorite part.
53 - NR Davis,
IN MEMORIAM (missed a couple at the start)
Teresa Wright
Pat Morita
Vincent Schiavelli
Joe Ranft
Moira Shearer
Fayard Nicholas
Joel Hirschhorn
Sandra Dee
John Fiedler
Tony Franciosa
Stu Linder
Barbara Bel Geddess
Moustapha Akkad
Chris Penn
John Mills
Robert Buzz Knudson
Simone Simon
Debra Hill
Onna White
Robert J. Schifffer
Guy Green
Brock Peters
Ernest Lehman
Shelley Winters
Anne Bancroft (sigh)
John Box
Eddie Albert
Ismail Merchant'
Robert Wise
Richard Pryor
54 - Aaman
My 3-year old was waving adieu through much of the reel, mainly because of the farewell music, I guess - shows how conditioning works
55 - swingingpuss
Ms Davis, that was some typing speed - do you have a downloadable tutor?:)
56 - Aaman
Will Smith rocks, naturellement
57 - NR Davis
Best Foreign-Language Film: Tsotsi from South Africa, as I'd hoped. Woohoo!
58 - NR Davis
I have amazing fingers. Or so I've been told.
Amandla!
59 - Aaman
Best Foreign goes to South African Tsotsi, last year SA had a nomination too.
60 - NR Davis
"Martin Scorsese: zero Oscars
361 Mafia: One."
Jon Stewart is SO bad!
Good lord, Ziyz Zhang is GLORIOUS!
61 - Aaman
Crash totally deserved Best Editing
62 - NR Davis
Ziyi, that is. See what happens when one drools while typing?
63 - NR Davis
If Philip Seymour Hoffman doesn't win, I am going to cry like a three year old!
64 - Aaman
That's Three Six Mafia:)
65 - NR Davis
Must say, though, all the noms are stellar...
YEAH! P-S-H!!!
66 - Aaman
Joaquim Phoenix should have totally got the Oscar for Best Actor, but didn't, and Ms. Davis won't cry
67 - NR Davis
Really? Thought I heard Stewart call 'em 3-6-1... What the hell do I know about rap anyway? About as much as Marty Scorsese knows about winning Oscars...
68 - NR Davis
Damn skippy... no tears here, though Phoenix did a great, great job. He had Johnny Cash down. Hoffman WAS Truman Capote, though. Utterly transformed.
But all of the nominees were worthy. Even if I had been crying, I would applaud any of those talented actors, who are all a credit to the fraternity of screen thespians.
I do think Reese Witherspoon will win, however. Could be wrong, though. Wouldn't be the first time by far.
69 - NR Davis
Cinematography is a tough category this year: Again, all the nominees were deserving, and Memoirs of a Geisha is a fine choice.
70 - Aaman
Geisha is sweeping it for it's categories - reminds one of Chicago:) - Best Cinematography, which could have gone to so many others, but only one can rule them all
71 - Aaman
Awesome nominees for Best Actress - and it goes to Reese Witherspoon:) I totally agree
72 - NR Davis
Yeah,3-6 Mafia. Okeydoke.
I was right about Reese. Groovy (though personally I had hoped for Felicity Huffman).
73 - NR Davis
Best speech so far, IMO: Ms. Witherspoon, who was so good as June Carter Cash. May we all have the chance to matter.
74 - Aaman
It's so good to see Dustin Hoffmann - and what an extemporaneous segue to distract from a minor gaffe:)
75 - Aaman
I love the 'adapted' category - brings together multiple genres - for a creative generalist, there's nothing better - the Oscar deservedly goes to Larry McMurtry & Diana for Brokeback Mountain